Big Hero 6 (cancelled Universal film)
Big Hero 6 was an unreleased computer-animated superhero film that was to be produced by Universal Animation Studios. Based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name, it is unrelated to the 2014 Walt Disney Animation Studios film of the same name, although it has a similar storyline. Universal started developing an animated film based on the Big Hero 6 comics in 2000, when they acquired the film rights and character licenses from Marvel Entertainment. The film was originally planned for a Christmas 2006 release by Universal Pictures, but was delayed to 2007. In March 2006, Universal moved the film to 2008, and announced Audel LaRoque as the director of Computeropolis 2, which he was directing concurrently with Big Hero 6. However, in March 2007, the project was abandoned by Universal due to script problems, and LaRoque announced that he was no longer working on the project, and would instead work on an idea that would later become 2013's Quest. The project was later moved to Walt Disney Animation Studios, and was released on November 7, 2014, seven years after the cancellation of the original Universal animated film. Had this film been released, it would have been the first animated film based on a Marvel comic, and the first (and presumably the only) Universal animated film to feature Marvel characters. Premise Like the 2014 Disney film, it would have retained some of the core themes and character concepts from the comics, but would have made substantial changes and builds a new story around them. It would revolve around Hiro (Elijah Wood), a 13-year-old boy genius who creates Baymax (Audel LaRoque); after the death of his parents, he forms a superhero team called Big Hero 6 to fight Shikra (Tim Curry), a villain who killed Hiro's parents. That storyline is completely different from the comic series and the Disney film, though the Disney film has some similar elements from the unproduced Universal film. Cast * Elijah Wood as Hiro * Audel LaRoque as Baymax * Avril Lavigne as Honey Lemon * Linda Cardellini as GoGo Tomago * Steve Zahn as Wasabi-No-Ginger * Seann William Scott as Fred * Tim Curry as Shikra * George Takei as Neki Production Development In March 2000, Universal Studios announced that they had bought the rights for the Big Hero 6 comic book series from Marvel Comics to make an animated film, via Universal Feature Animation to make this. Geo G. was attached to direct the film from the script by Toy Story writers Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow. Geo also said that the film was expected to see a PG-13 rating, like most live-action Marvel films. In April 2001, James Gunn, the writer of Scooby-Doo (2002), was hired to do the re-writes for the script. In November 2001, Terry Ward took over the directing position as Geo G. left to direct TeenV Movie for a 2003 release instead, although Geo originally designed the characters for the film. By May 2002, the first draft was completed. Around 2003, Chris Jenkins then replaced Ward to direct the film. In April 2004, it was reported that Audel LaRoque took over as the fourth scheduled director, and had been set to direct the feature. In July 2004, Universal set the release date for December 1, 2006, which was, in May 2005, pushed back to 2007. In March 2006, Universal then moved the film to 2008, and announcing LaRoque as the director of Computeropolis 2 ''(known as ''Computeropolis 2: The Error of Doom at the time), which he was directing concurrently with Big Hero 6. Casting In August 2004, the film's cast was announced. Elijah Wood joined as Hiro, director Audel LaRoque as Baymax, Avril Lavigne as Honey Lemon, Linda Cardellini as GoGo Tomago, Steve Zahn as Wasabi-No-Ginger, Seann William Scott as Fred, Tim Curry as Shikra, and George Takei (who would later go on to voice Warui Kobayashi in another Universal Animation film Woo La La) as Neki. Cancellation and legacy In March 2007, Universal announced that the production of Big Hero 6 was ultimately shut down, due to having problems with the script. LaRoque, who was unhappy about this, said about the film's cancellation, "The story wasn't working that right. We're out of ideas now, so we killed Big Hero 6." Not only because Big Hero 6 was suffering script issues, but it is also because LaRoque would instead work on an idea that would later become Quest. During the production of Quest for a 2013 release, LaRoque expressed interest of reviving Big Hero 6, which did not last very long, however. In June 2012, Walt Disney Animation Studios announced they were in development with Marvel to make an unrelated film of Big Hero 6, which was released on November 7, 2014. Knowing the Universal version could not be completed before the Disney version, Audel dropped the project. Scripts Each script has a different storyline. BIG HERO 6 by JOEL COHEN & ALEC SOKOLOW (First Draft, 12-15-2000) BIG HERO 6 by JAMES GUNN (First Draft, 2002-05-19) BIG HERO 6 by AUDEL LAROQUE (First Draft, 2005-11-5) Differences from the Disney film * Like in the original comics, Hiro's brother Tadashi does not appear in the unproduced Universal film. * In the comics, Baymax is a bodyguard; while in the Disney film, he is a friendly robot originally designed to provide medical care. In the unproduced Universal film, however, Baymax is still a bodyguard but friendly. * Strangely, Hiro's surname was never mentioned in the unproduced Universal film. He was given two names in the comics and the Disney film: Hiro Takachiho in the comics and Hiro Hamada in the Disney film. It is most likely possible that Hiro was a completely different character from his comic and Disney counterparts because of his different appearance in the unproduced Universal film. Judging by Hiro's different appearance in the unproduced Universal film, fans refer him as "Universal Hiro." Video game There was a video game planned for release alongside the film. Going by the same name as the film, it was planned to be an action-adventure game. It was planned to be released around 2008, and the hopes were pretty high for the game. However, Universal pulled the plug for the film, so did the video game. No screenshots or video of gameplay were ever released. Trivia * Audel LaRoque revealed in an interview that the film was originally going to have a much darker tone (and likely a PG-13 or R rating), compared to the comic and the Disney film as well as other Universal Animation productions. However, Universal did not felt like this film needs to be "edgy" because they would only accept it as family-friendly, so the script was rewritten. Some of the scenes in the altered script are still dark, though. ** In fact, Hiro was originally killed near the end of the film, as seen in one of the early scripts of the film as it was going to be dark. This was considered to be a bad idea because it would cause a negative reaction such as the test audience bursting into tears and the main character does not need to die at the end, so it was redone and the creators decided to keep Hiro alive. ** This could have been the darkest timeline in Universal Animation history. * At one point, Universal confirmed that there will be a trilogy of Big Hero 6 films coming to theaters, but those plans were abandoned when they cancelled the production of Big Hero 6. Also, before the film's cancellation, director Audel LaRoque expected it to be a hit and launch a franchise, much akin to Computeropolis. * There is a robot figure resembling Baymax in BJ's room. This is possibly a reference to Universal's cancelled Big Hero 6 film. * In Computeropolis 2 (in which Audel LaRoque directed although he was originally directing Big Hero 6 at first), while Vinna practices her Japanese accent, she mentions Hiro Takachiho, a possible reference to Big Hero 6. Also, Hiro's Marvel comics surname Takachiho is mentioned in Computeropolis 2, although there is no sign of Hiro's surname in the unproduced Universal version of Big Hero 6. It is likely possible that this is a reference to the original Marvel Big Hero 6 comic series, not the unproduced Universal film. * There is also a reference in Woo La La, where Kireina picks up a manga with the Universal counterparts of Hiro and Baymax on it. * In Gabriel Garza, there is a student in Gabriel's class that resembles Hiro, a possible reference to Universal's Big Hero 6. The Hiro-like student also makes cameo appearances in Plucky Chicken and Gabriel Garza 2. Gallery Coming soon!